The nonprofit organization Hope for the Warriors will be sending a group of 40 veterans to New York City for a New Year's Eve experience in Times Square.
The trip is a tradition that began over a decade ago, said Robin Kelleher, CEO and co-founder of Hope for the Warriors during an appearance on Tuesday, Dec. 27, on "Fox & Friends."
Hope for the Warriors works with the FDNY and NYPD to "celebrate and ring in the New Year with military families from across the country," Kelleher said.
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The military families will be arriving in New York City in the coming days, said Kelleher.
Then they'll be treated to a New Year's Eve experience unlike any other, she indicated.
"We will celebrate and eat dinner at one of the firehouses, and then be escorted out to the ball drop," she also said on "Fox & Friends."
At Times Square, the group will be in a "roped-in area that's very VIP and special for them."
This will allow the group to be close to the event's action but without the risk of crowding, she explained.
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Going to New York City for New Year's Eve is a "bucket list" item for many people, said Kelleher, but it "may have dropped to the bottom of that bucket list because they were afraid they weren't going to be able to do it."
Kelleher said that the NYPD and FDNY officers who partner with Hope for the Warriors make the trip happen.
"Our escorts make it possible for them to enjoy an evening without fear, without anxiety. We're able to bring dogs, we have wheelchair [seating], whatever they need," she said.
The FDNY and NYPD are "constantly opening up their hearts and their firehouses to our families, Gold Star families," said Kelleher.
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"Anything that we ask, they're there to help."
Aside from organizing once-in-a-lifetime trips, Hope for the Warriors works to assist veterans with "critical needs."
"I think everyone in the country would agree that there's a priority on making sure military families have food on the table, rent and mortgages are paid, that they have automobiles, so they can have meaningful employment — those are the things right now that are our major priorities," said Kelleher.
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Additionally, Hope for the Warriors provides scholarships for military spouses and assists with transition into civilian life and employment support, she said.
To learn more, watch the video at the top of this article, or click here to access it.
